NORTHEAST: MOMENTUM ON RUDOLPH’S SIDE AS 2017 SEASON NEARS

Marshall Gabell – January 31, 2017

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Erick Rudolph remained atop his Three Quarter (TQ) Midget game during the Gambler’s Classic at Boardwalk Hall this weekend, a race in which he earned his sixth career win in the Len Sammons-promoted Indoor Auto Racing Series Championship.

Rudolph, 25, led the event wire-to-wire — defeating Zane Zeiner in a photo finish — en route to becoming the second driver to reach three wins inside the historic Boardwalk Hall.

“It means a lot. It means a lot, especially after the last outing here [in Atlantic City] where we weren’t able to get any wins, when we were in really good contention and had the best car,” Rudolph said after the triumph. “Tonight, maybe not the best car but nevertheless get it here in victory lane.”

Along with inching closer to evening up with veteran Ted Christopher for the all-time wins record (8) in the indoor series, Rudolph also is now booming with confidence as he returns to his usual ride during the racing season.

Hailing from Ransomville, N.Y., Rudolph had an impressive campaign across multiple series last season in Northeast big-block Modified competition, scoring wins in over three unique and competitive divisions.

In fact, the hotshoe tallied victories in The Modified Tour (5), Super DIRTcar Big Block Modified Series (1) and the DIRTcar 358-Modified Series (4) last season.

Having those performances under his belt, along with becoming the inaugural champion in The Modified Tour, a 10-race big-block Modified division, last September, Rudolph is even more excited to begin another jam-packed schedule — looking to continue furthering his reputation in the dirt ranks.

“I’ll tell you what, everything is really starting to come together here for this season,” Rudolph said. “It is looking like we have our weekly things figured out, running Ransomville and Canandaigua shows most of the time. And then we are going to run the BPR Series [The Modified Tour Inc.], some Super DIRTcar Series races and then [the Short Track Super Series] shows.”

“Of course, if there is a big race somewhere, and we feel like going there, then we will go. We will probably run about as many races as we did this season — about 80 or so. We are very excited, the car is coming together nicely. We have four cars that will be in rotation.”

Racing between multiple tracks and series, Rudolph will also travel across four or more states in competition this season and continue to make a living from his performances on the racetrack; which is something he would not trade for a thing in the world.

“I would not be able to do this without the help from some great people,” Rudolph explained. “I just feel very, very blessed and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. To be able to support myself [through racing], I just feel totally blessed.”

Despite the thriving success on the dirt side, Rudolph does not have plans, however, to continue his asphalt career, which has included four seasons and 50 races in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (he recorded a win and seven top five finishes in that span).

Rudolph competed in just one Race of Champions Asphalt Modified Tour event last season, where he finished seventh.

“Right now, I have no plans to get back on asphalt,” Rudolph said. “You never know what is going to happen, but obviously my bread and butter is the dirt modifieds. And that is what I’m going to stick with.”

http://www.racechaseronline.com/racing-nation/northeast/northeast-momentum-rudolphs-side-2017-season-nears/

RUDOLPH WINS THIRD GAMBLER’S CLASSIC, FLORES INDOOR SERIES CHAMPION

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – Erick Rudolph of Ransomville, N.Y., staved off a furious last lap challenge off the final turn by Zane Zeiner of Bath, Pa., and won the NAPA Know How Racing Weekend Three Quarter (TQ) Midget Gambler’s Classic 40-lap feature by a razor thin margin inside historic Boardwalk Hall on Saturday night.

“I wasn’t sure about it, to be honest,” said Rudolph of the outcome. “I knew it was very close.

The actual margin of victory, .012 seconds, was the closest margin for a race winner in the history of the Indoor Auto Racing Series.

“He (Rudolph) made one little mistake there at the end and I was right there,” Zeiner said. “Someday soon, I am going to win one of these things.”

Matt Janisch was a close third, Jimmy Blewett fourth and Mike Lichty, who was making his first Indoor Auto Racing Series start of the season, completed the top spots.

Scott Kreutter, Jon Reid, Andrew Nye, Brandon Azzalina and Ryan Flores completed the top ten.

The tenth place result was enough for Flores to win his first Indoor Auto Racing Series points championship.

“The point title is what we worked hard for all year,” Flores said. “I would like to have done better in this race but winning the title was the goal and we achieved it.”

Gary Hieber started up front and finished there to win the 25-lap Slingshot feature. Hieber outran Danny Buccafusca for the race win but in finishing second, Buccafusca won the Slingshot Indoor Auto Racing Series points championship. Seth Spayd, Cody Kline and Kyle Herve completed the top five. Kurt Bettler entered the weekend as a contender for the Slingshot title but spun out late in the race and finished 19th.

Cale Ross backed up his Indoor Auto Racing Series Champ Kart race win at Trenton in December with a win in Saturday’s Champ Kart feature. Ross held off Eric Zeh and Todd Crenchaw to secure the race win and by crossing the line first, also won the Indoor Auto Racing Series Champ Kart points championship. Ryan Swartz and Ryan Kendall ere the remainder of the top five. Perennial favorite Chris Daley was involved in two separate crashes during the race and finished twenty-first.

In preliminary TQ Midget racing action Saturday night, Flores, Blewett, Andy Jankowiak, Lichty, Reid and Azzalina each won heat races. B-Main TQ Qualifiers were won by Andrew Krause, Andrew Nye and Timmy Catalano. The five lap TQ Midget Dash which set starting positions for the first nine was won by Rudolph.

In Saturday afternoon preliminary action, Scott Kreutter won the Last Chance Qualifier for TQ Midgets, Dylan Hoch and Joe Toth the pair of Slingshot qualifiers, and Todd Crenchaw and Joey Bruning the pair of B Mains for Champ Karts.

Len Sammons Motorsports Productions and the Indoor Auto Racing Series announced dates for the 2018 Gambler’s Classic. The 16th running of the race is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, January 26-27, 2018.

Gambler’s Classic TQ Midget Feature (40 Laps): 1. Erick Rudolph, 2. Zane Zeiner, 3. Matt Janisch, 4. Jimmy Blewett, 5. Mike Lichty, 6. Scott Kreutter, 7. Jon Reid, 8. Andrew Nye, 9. Brandon Azzalina, 10. Ryan Flores, 11. Ryan Preece, 12. Rob Neely, 13. Mike Maresca, 14. Justin Bonsignore, 15. Mike Iles, 16. Tim Buckwalter, 17. Mike Tidaback, 18. Andy Jankowiak, 19. Anthony Sesely, 20. Ted Christopher, 21. Ronnie Mullen, 22. Brett Michalski, 23. Timmy Catalano, 24. Earl Paules, 25. Ryan Tidman, 26. Andrew Krause.

Slingshot Feature (25 Laps): 1. Gary Hieber, 2. Danny Buccafusca, 3. Seth Spayd, 4. Cody Kline, 5. Kyle Herve, 6. Billy Vaninwegen, 7. Joe Toth, 8. Dan Spellmon, 9. Damon Paul, 10. Steve Svanda, 11. Mike Toth, 12. Nick Del Campo, 13. Brett Bieber, 14. Mike Lapicki, 15. Chris Gall., 16. Nick Shaw, 17. Matt Langbein, 18. Anthony Raisner, 19. Kurt Bettler, 20. Vern McLaughlin III, 21. Matt Massone, 22. Dylan Hoch, 23. Cole Hentschel, 24. Eddie Strada.

Champ Kart Feature (25 Laps): 1. Cale Ross, 2. Eric Zeh, 3. Todd Crenchaw, 4. Ryan Swartz, 5. Ryan Kendall, 6. Jonathan Laureigh, 7. Mike Perry, 8. TJ Reed, 9. Doughas Goetz Jr., 10. Tim Gregory, 11. Stephen Beattie, 12. Pat Yountz, 13. Jeremiah Wagner, 14. Jon Pepe, 15. Tyler Thompson, 16. Dalton Rivira, 17. Richie Spaide, 18. Cole Neibert, 19. Ron Midford, 20. JJ Pacovich, 21. Chris Daley, 22. Zach Myers, 23. Joey Bruning, 24. Jon Cash.

MEDIA NOTE: On behalf of all involved with Len Sammons and the Indoor Auto Racing Series we extend a huge thank you for your support of the events run in Trenton, Allentown and Atlantic City.

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